Pupil takes his own life

A MANDENI family is still in shock after their teenage son committed suicide on Saturday after failing Grade 10.

Skhumbuzo Shandu (18), from uDumo High School, was found hanging in his room in the Magengeni area.

His sister, Phumzile Shandu, said: “We still can’t believe that he is gone. It would’ve been better if he had fallen ill, but this is just unbelievable.”

She said on Thursday night Skhumbuzo and their younger sister were discussing their results.

She said Skhumbuzo said he would kill himself if he failed, but the family didn’t think he was serious as he had appeared confident that he would pass.

“On Friday morning, he asked me to fetch his report for him as he told me he was afraid to fetch it himself.

“I agreed and told my mother who was in town already to get it for him. She did, and when I met up with her later, she told me ‘things didn’t go well’ for Skhumbuzo,” said Shandu.

She said they were worried about him and had planned to tell him he had failed in January, after the holidays.

“He found out somehow and he was very sad, but we comforted him and told him that he still had a chance to do better next year. We all went to bed at about 9.30 pm.”

Phumzile said: “In the morning on our way to fetch water we heard our father calling us and mom wailing.

“We rushed back home and found him hanging in his room.”

Phumzile described her brother as a down-to-earth boy who always had a smile on his face and who had dreams of being a policeman after passing matric.

“I remember him telling our mother that he would study at uMfol­ozi FET and later become a policeman and how we would all be proud of the first policeman in our family,” added Phumzile.

Skhumbuzo’s mother Khanyisile Makhoba said his death had left her with a wound that will never heal.

“I am hurt and I will carry this wound for the rest of my life.

“The whole community has lost a child, because he was a sweet boy who laughed with everyone and losing him in such a way is beyond painful,” said Makhoba

She said “Khumbu”, as Skhumbuzo was affectionately known, usually woke up at around 4 am, but on that particular day he didn’t.

“I went to check up on him and knocked at the room, but there was no answer, so I peeped through the window and that is when I saw him with a rope around his neck. I couldn’t help but scream.”

Police spokesperson Lieutenant Gideon Mthethwa confirmed that a case was opened at the Sundumbili police station.

“Pupils need to understand that failing is not the end of the world, and they should take that as a minor setback to learn from,” he said.

The funeral is likely to be held this weekend.

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